The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-04-09
JUSTICE FOR A WOMAN.
Verdict Obtained Under the Civil Damage
Iaw-Cnst of Selling Liquor to II Pluckv
Wpnau's Husband

Law-C"st of Selling Liquor to PIuckv
W"man's Husband.
From the Boston HtrdId
A evil suit against liquor dealer of
this city was brou sht before Judge Pit
man of the superior court the past week,
the result OF which will not only prove of
great interest to temperance people, but
shows what can be accomplished by an
outraged wife, and a woman of indomi
table pluck and determination, at the
hands of Justice. The case was one
where most estimable lady brought suit
against a liquor dealer, claiming damages
because her husband obtained liquor ON
the premises controlled by the dealer,
aud though temporarily defeated in two
trials through a disagreement of the jury,
she was still determined to see what pro-
lection there was i'll the court for wife
against one who had sold her husband
Intoxicating liquor. and, in spite of the
most obstinate opposition, against even
the advice of intimate friends, who,
til, ugh they sympathiZ"d with her,
thought her case an entirely hopeless
one, uualGed and alone, except what she
/. Celvtd from competent and faithful at
tolntys, she press, d the case to third
nial. TINS came OF last Monday and
Tuesday. and resulted III Il triumph tor
tie vile. the Jury after short absence
hlu"gn Z IN verdict III her favor.
The lady who achieved this victor,
was Mrs. Amy J. Pullman; the liquor
Her aLd defendant III the case was
Isaiah PrdaIl. who, III the time the suit
Mas blousht. kept 4 saloon at the corner
OF Wallham and Washington streets. The
hus bal Il OF the lady Is "a most respectable
gentleman, travelling SALESMAN, and he
has been Ill the service Cf his bresent
employers !or 20 leals. Everything to
maAe home comfortable and happy be
lonGed 10 this couple, and there was but
a single cloud in their li.es-the husband
was III tie habit OF ptrtakIng OF lngoxi-
eating liquor. In 1882 Mrs. PInkham
Went to New Jersey 10 visit relatives aud
trIerds ard was absent about six weeks.
She was suddenly summoned home by d
Geographic dispatch Arriving on GER
tain Monday evening, she found that on
the Saturday night before her husband
he was under the influence OF strong
drink. and having bt en- lett to himself
at the head OF IA flight OF stairs had gone
to sleep, aud subst quently fallen the full
lergth Of the stairs and sustained bad
fracture Of his left arm and severe
bruises on his side. The wiies indigua
ton WAS aroused and she resolved to
punish the man who had been instru-
mental III furnishing her husband the Ii
quor under " hIch Influence this miSfor
tune had been brought To her home. She
learned that her husband had become in
tOXlca1ed i'll the liquor saloon of Isaiah
Plhdhll, that he hau spent hours III his
place, drank freely, and at one or more
tunes hS Invitation of Mr.. Prpdall him
1t II. aud had nually re tcheu home in n,
manner and With the result already de
scIibed. Mrs. Pink ham consulted IA
pl"mlns mt lawyer, ana he consented to
act III her behalf III any suit she might
bring against MIR. l'l. dali.
Tins ,a"Srr was st slow and dilatory
III his movements, however, that the
lady p"ltuce became exhausted. and
she dismissed bun. and placed her Cast
III tie haud> 0i Mes>rs. Brner X Curry,
attorneys. 1aeie was anappdrrnt " eak
ness III the case of Mis- Pmkham ias
muci. as she had not notified NJ. Piudall
not To sell htr husband intoX'catIug
liquors. III coutor nance with the law un
del Which the suit WAS brought, but il
was determined To pass 1t to TRIAL. Two
years elapsed before the case was reached
but il 1854 the first trial took place. The
plaintiff case was substantially that al
ready stated, while the defence rested
their side by attempting to prove that
Mr.. PInkham was not i'll Plndall's saloon
at the time he was alleged to have re-
ceived the liquor that caused his acct
dent. The evidence that he was in the
saloon at the time named was over
whelming, yet the jury tailed to agree on
a verdict, Standi1 | to | i'll favor OF
plaintiff. The second trial came of about
IA year subsequent to the first 1t is al
legged that two men directly engaged in
the liquor business Were on the jury. The
second trial resulted in another disagree
ment OF she jury, the poll being 10 To ,
III the plalutIlf' $ tavCr.
The results of the two trials while not
giving the lady the victory, were very
encouraging to her final triumph. Judges
Rock we'll and Blodgett, before whom the
cases had been respectively tried, had
ruled strongly i'll her favor. and i'll spite
her. "a large majority of each jury had re-
ported III her behalf In spite of these
Signs OF encouragement, the lady, after
the 81 cOnd trial, found herself combating
against dlScOur" cement Oh every hand i'll
the form of advice and counsel TO dlscuu
t.nue her suit, lrInclpally gu the ground
that 1t was time aud money wasted, and
that /" jury could be assembled i'll Suf
fox county that would bring judgment
against IA liquor dealer under the crcum
stances i'll which her case was placed, |
Mrs. PiHkham determined on another ef- |
fort to ascertain her rights, and she was
seconded by the same counsel, Messrs. |
Baker and Curry, who had served her SO
faithfully III the preceding trials. The |
third trial came off last week and lasted |
"A day aud a-hali. Able counsel again rep
resented the defendant, and evidence
was submitted in his behalf that was pc
culiar. The jury took the case at about
II 80 o clock i'll The morning, and in the |
course oi the afternoon brought in a YER |
diet awarding damages to the plaintiff. |
in all three ot the trials the husband of
the lady stood uobly by her side: his evil |